what to do with a whole chicken and 3lbs of mushrooms?

[LuluTheMagnificent]

don't say marsala please. I like that but don't love the marsala wine. Maybe I could use a white wine?
what about coq au vin? I don't know how to make it though. What else. Oh yeah, oven not working.

[LuluTheMagnificent]

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I ended up making a version btw what cgarner & katecm posted. It was delicious! I basically made what cgarner posted but added the tomato paste per katecm. I didn't finish it off with heavy cream because I didn't have any. The sauce was still delish, but I can see how cream would have turned it out! I made mashed potatoes with it(that's where all the cream went).

I still have over a pound of mushrooms and I still have the chicken breasts, so....

Thanks again!

[mamachef]

I just remembered a Russian mushroom "gratin" that you can finish stovetop that calls for 3 pounds of mushrooms, sliced and sauteed with onions, and mixed with creme fraiche. Smoothed in a large saute pan, shredded emmenthaler on top; cover to melt cheese. Traditionally this is made in the oven, but seems super-adaptable to your circumstance. With a chicken saute sec with herbs/white wine and an easily dressed salad (sweet and sour cucumber with dill?) there you are.

[cgarner]

that sounds delicious!

[boyzoma]

You can make several dishes out of these ingredients since you don't have an oven. It just depends on if you want to use them together or separately for different dishes.

Chicken Stroganoff w/Mushrooms
Chicken Soup w/Mushrooms
Cream of Chicken/Mushroom soup
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with sauteed Mushrooms in the alfredo sauce (we like our chicken with some cajun seasoning)
Chicken & Dumplings (also using Mushrooms)
Chef's salad with added diced or sliced chicken and fresh sliced mushrooms
Chicken Stir Fry - using both diced chicken and sliced mushrooms

Oh, and did I forget to mention I wish I was in your shoes? I could eat shrooms 3 meals a day!

[natewrites]

Good suggestions Boyzoma.

I would recommend a chicken tetrazinni (because it makes a lot, and you can individually freeze small portions, and it seems impervious to freezer burn). I add cooking sherry to mine, or whatever wine I'm trying to get rid of. Yes, not too terribly gourmet of me, but I'm THRIFTY and throw nothing away. I'm assuming you have cheddar cheese and spaghetti in your pantry.

[boyzoma]

Great suggestion (bonk's my head on the keyboard as that is one of my favorites). I also add diced red/green peppers and almost anything else sitting in my veggie drawer along with some peas. I haven't tried wine, but will now!

[greygarious]

Yes, you have too many mushrooms for one chicken anyway. A couple of weeks ago I bought three marked down one-pound packages of sliced button mushrooms for 50 cents each. They needed prompt cooking so I sauteed them in batches, along with a little onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Additionally, teriyaki sauce on one of the batches. I am still working on them. So far I've had generous amounts atop steak three times, in two omelets, in 5 meals of pasta, and tonight I put the remainder into a sauce made with cheese and cream, putting some over a large baked potato as my entree. I still have enough of the sauce for two more meals.

[iheartcooking]

Awesome idea... How did you store them after cooking? How long did they keep?

[greygarious]

They've been in the refrigerator and it's 12 days so far. They still taste and smell fine. I'll finish or freeze what remains tomorrow. Cooked, mushrooms are freezable. Jacques Pepin is a fan of button mushrooms that have started looking a bit old. He says they have more flavor then.

[paprkutr]

Make a nice soup, like a mushroom barley with shredded chicken, carrots, etc. This way you would have food left over and can freeze.

[mamachef]

Make a mushroom duxelles, and stuff the chicken with it. Incorporate your favorite herbs; roast. Yum, delicious self-basted side dish. Great surrounded with lg. onion wedges, drizzled with oil, s&p and herbs before baking, something very green with lemon butter, orzo or smashed roasted potatoes.

[LuluTheMagnificent]

I would do this in a heartbeat, but oven is broken. Loving the suggestions so far. Anything with pasta I could make? pasta and wine w/mushrooms and chicken, where I don't have to cut the chicken too small?

[amyzan]

You could do this stovetop with a large dutch oven. You want to cut the chicken up, and stuff individual parts (excepting the back, neck, and wings, of course, which you might freeze for making stock later.) I wish I'd thought of that. It's been forever since I made a mushroom duxelle, but man, was it memorable. With cognac, I think.

[katecm]

Absolutely. Do what I suggested (and the chicken just needs to be separated into breasts, and legs, really), and use the mushrooms as a sauce over pasta, with a piece of chicken on top. Easy peasy.

[amyzan]

It's been a while since I made it, but I immediately thought of Chicken Chasseur. I think the recipe I used was from Saveur, but couldn't google it up, as I may be wrong about that. Anyway, this Bobby Flay recipe seems close, and you could easily use more mushrooms as long as you saute the mushrooms in batches, so they can brown properly. (If you put three pounds in all at once, you'll get steamed mushrooms--not what you want here.) http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bo...

[wattacetti]

Make a galantine. The mushrooms can be integrated into the galantine as well as served alongside.

[LuluTheMagnificent]

If I knew what that was, I'd make it. :)

[wattacetti]

Sorry. It's a type of charcuterie where one fully debones the chicken and then reassembles around forcemeat. Typically poached and served with aspic and a salad, but there are other variations.

[fourunder]

How about a version of Chicken Paprikash?.....or...... You can bone out the chicken and use the meat for another application. Make stock and prepare for a Cream of Mushroom Soup.

[cgarner]

@Katecm answered nearly identically to what I was going to post. Chicken fricasse with mushrooms would be divine... and I am inspired as the weather is getting cooler

Cut the chicken into pieces, dredge in flour brown on all sides in a large dutch oven, remove add garlic cloves (cut in half) and onions (in large slices) to the pan, then add carrots and celery (I like big chunks for fricasee) clean your mushrooms stir them in and continue to cook for about five minutes... add equal amounts water and white wine (half to three quarters cup each) and some chopped tarragon or thyme (I like tarragon) bring to a simmer and cover and continue to cook on low for about 15-20 minutes

take it off the heat and stir in about a half cup or so of cream and addtional fresh tarragon and serve.

[boyzoma]

That sounds divine. That is going into my recipe bucket!

[katecm]

I'd cut your chicken into pieces, then season and brown the meat and remove. Sweat two or three chopped onions, then add the mushrooms and cook them down, seasoned with thyme and rosemary. Stir in a good dollop of tomato paste (not necessary but I think it adds heft to a sauce), stiring to cook for a minute, then deglaze with wine and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, add the chicken in, cover and simmer until the chicken is done. You may want to remove the chicken when done in order to cook the sauce down to thicken, but it depends on how the sauce is.